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Introduction
Vitamin B3, also called Niacin, is a very important vitamin we need. There are 8 total 'B vitamins', with B3 being 1 of them. It is found in foods and can be obtained via supplementation. Being a water-soluble vitamin, your body will not store it, so any excessive dosage will be wasted out of the body.
Did you know that every fiber of your body depends on it to properly function? It has tremendous benefits for normal people or athletes alike.
How does it work?
Vitamin B3 aids body enzymes convert food into energy. The two main coenzymes are called NADP and NAD specialize in the metabolism of cells. From there cells become lit, causing DNA repair and a detoxing effect.
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Vitamin C in Health and Disease: Its Role in the Metabolism of Cells and Redox State in the Brain
hat tip Paleo Osteo— mitominder (@Mitominder) June 10, 2019
Chemical forms
Vitamin B3 comes in two main forms which affect the body differently. The good news is you don't have to worry about getting enough from foods because you can also get both from supplements.
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- Niacinamide: Also referred to as nicotinamide. This chemical form is great for skin health as we will talk about more in depth below.
- Nicotinic acid: Focuses more on heart health issues, specifically cholesterol.
How will I know if I am deficient?
Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as getting blood work in all cases. Some people simply are deficient and doctors do a poor job of recognizing it from lab work, others have poor diets which make it hard to get proper vitamins.
Having said that the main symptoms of a Vitamin B3 deficiency are as follows:
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- Skin issues
- Headaches/migraines
- Low energy
- Poor mood
- Mental problems and poor memory
- Loose Bowels
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If levels become too low, the person can develop Pellagra which is a disease that can be fatal.
And here it is ....@tim_esPH @martinmckee @alisonkmcc the blues and pellagra: a public health detective story - PubMed - NCBI https://t.co/kG37Ymbvw7
— john middleton (@doctorblooz) December 14, 2019
Why athletes need it
As weight lifters, powerlifters, bodybuilders, or just guys and gals who like to exercise and workout, the first problem is always going to be energy. The mistake people make is they want to take a nasty pre-workout to stimulate their bodies unnaturally, which are full of caffeine and destroy our heart health. To make matters worse, during your workout, once that phony stimulation wears off then we crash back down, and when it is at its peak we feel jittery and anxious. Then after we workout, we cannot sleep at night which causes us to fail to repair the trauma done on the body.
To fix a lack of energy it is important to get all your vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B3 is one of the most critical ones to get.
When we use anabolics their androgenic properties strain our heart health, sending our bad cholesterol levels through the roof. Those who cycle anabolics need Vitamin B3 because of its amazing heart benefits.
Mike Mentzer is one of the most famous bodybuilders of our time. I consider him the godfather of the modern HIT training movement. While HIT existed before Mike Mentzer, it evolved with his ability to promote and change the HIT regiment. He was a great businessman and had published a good amount of material. Read More..
To summarize, you better make sure you are supplementing Vitamin B3 if you want to get the most out of your hard work in the gym!
And here it is ....@tim_esPH @martinmckee @alisonkmcc the blues and pellagra: a public health detective story - PubMed - NCBI https://t.co/kG37Ymbvw7
— john middleton (@doctorblooz) December 14, 2019
Dosages
The amount of Vitamin B3 varies by age and also depends on your diet and other supplementation. Generally, children should get up to 5-12mgs per day. Adults can go as high as 10-16mgs per day. Men will typically need 10% more than women.
Health benefits
There are many benefits derived from Vitamin B3.
Basella Alba is an edible perennial vine, which grows leaves that look like spinach. It is usually found in tropical parts of the world including Asia and Africa. It is used as a leaf vegetable, and you may have heard of it referred to as a 'creeping spinach' or 'vine spinach'. Although it is native to New Guinea and Southeast Asia, it is naturalized in China, Africa and parts of Central and South America. It is a very fast growing vine reaching over 30 feet in length, and the leaves are heart shaped and edible. Although, as mentioned, the leaves look like spinach, it is not in any way related to the true spinach family. Medically, Basella Alba has many health benefits which can benefit bodybuilders and athletes alike. Read More..
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- Pellagra treatment: As mentioned earlier, pellagra is an awful condition that can be reversed by supplementing with this vitamin. Luckily most of us who live in the western world never have to worry about this unless alcohol is abused and we are severely malnourished.
- Arthritis: Rodent studies have shown that joint inflammation was reduced when Vitamin B3 was injected. There are also human studies that showed that osteoarthritis and joint flexibility improved enough where the patient could come off anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Skin health: You may not know it but Vitamin B3 is great for protecting the skin from damage from the sun. Also supplementing it seems to reduce the chances of skin cancer.
- Brain health: Without Vitamin B3 you can expect to notice brain fog, loss of memory, and even illnesses like schizophrenia. The early signs are good that it will help delay Alzheimer's disease.
- Diabetes: Vitamin B3 helps protect cells in the pancreas from being attacked.
- Heart health: Researchers have known for a long time that Vitamin B3 is great for heart health, and in recent years have discovered it helps reduce stress and inflammation of the arteries.
- Cholesterol: Vitamin B3 helps lower LDL cholesterol (bad) and raises HDL cholesterol (good). A study showed that HDL went up by up to 35%. Another study showed that triglycerides dropped up to 50%.
Which foods contain it?
The highest amounts of Vitamin B3 per serving of food are found in chicken breast, fish, beef, peanuts, and lentils. Energy drinks also contain it, but I never recommend using these types of beverages due to their side effects.
Side effects
You should never overdose on Vitamin B3. A proper supplement stack should contain no more than 10mgs a day.
If you do accidentally overdose you may experience flushing, stomach issues, and blood sugar issues.
Supplementation
Athletes who eat properly will get Vitamin B3, but they also should reinforce things via supplementation. A dosage of 5-10mgs per day for both males and females will boost levels. Those athletes who use anabolics or who stress their bodies more than the average person should strongly consider supplementing.
The supplement industry is full of products that hide their ingredients to conceal how pathetic they are. Others are truthful about what's in them but they only contain 1 or 2 decent ingredients, with the rest just fluff to fill out the label. They then slap some juiced up meathead on the cover who is paid to tell you how good it is, then they jack up the price 10X what it is really worth. Read More..
Where to find
Vitamin B3 can be purchased from any vitamin shop legally. However, it works so much better as part of a comprehensive supplement stack. Cardazol from bannednutrition.com contains 10mg per serving, along with 2 dozen additional ingredients.
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References
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B3 in Health and Disease: Toward the Second Century of Discovery
- Niacin
- Niacin in the Central Nervous System: An Update of Biological Aspects and Clinical Applications
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) Supplementation in Patients with Serotonin-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumor
- The Influence of Nicotinamide on Health and Disease in the Central Nervous System